RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS

1. RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS INDUS RIVER VALLEY

2. Essential Question: • What were the important characteristics of the civilizationsin the Indus River Valley? Warm-Up Question: • Name 2 similarities between Egypt & Mesopotamian civilizations • Name 2 differences

3. The Indus River Valley (India)

4. India began along the Indus River, which flooded and left behind fertile soil (yet another perfect place to start a civilization) Seasonal monsoons caused summer rains and floods, which helped create more fertile soil

5. The people of the Indian “subcontinent” were well protected by several natural barriers: the oceans, Himalaya Mountains, and the deserts that surrounded the Indus River Valley kept out invaders Mountains Deserts Oceans

6. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Advanced cities: Indus cities were laid out in a grid system with high walls and citadel of major buildings

7. This grid system would be used in many modern cities (such as New York City)

8. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Specialized Workers: Indian society was divided by the “caste system”. This system divided people into classes based on their “purity” in Hinduism

10. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Government: Little is known about Indus government other than they were ruled by kings

11. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Religion: People in the Indus River Valley believed in a polytheistic religion called Hinduism Hindus believe in reincarnation: one’s soul is repeatedly reborn until moksha occurs

12. Moksha (also known as nirvana or enlightenment) is the release of the spirit from the human form A soul’s karma (good or bad deeds during life) effects your reincarnation (what you come back in life as) Today, Hinduism is the world’s oldest organized religion and its 3rd largest with nearly a billion followers

13. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Writing: Indus writing has not been fully translated so much of Indus life is still a mystery

14. Writing contained about 400 symbols that were both pictograms and phonetic characters

15. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Technology: Advanced plumbing: most houses in the Indus Valley had toilets and private bathrooms connected to underground sewer systems

16. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS Technology: They also made standard-sized, oven-baked bricks

17. Empires in India: the Mauryan and the Gupta

18. The Mauryan Empire of India Indus River Valley

19. The Mauryan Empire of India After the river valley era, India transitioned into the Mauryan Empire Indus River Valley

20. Chandragupta Maurya became king of India in 321 BCE (Before Common Era), created a vast army, and conquered surrounding lands The Mauryan Empire of India • Chandragupta’s empire controlled most of the Indian subcontinent

21. MAURYAN EMPIRE’S SYSTEM OF CONTROL • King Chandragupta Maurya used tactics similar to the Persians’ to control his empire • The king divided his empire into provinces, each ruled by a local prince that reported to him

22. The Mauryan Empire of India In 269 BCE, King Asoka took over; he expanded the Empire to its greatest extent Indus River Valley

23. During his wars of expansion, Asoka converted to Buddhism The Mauryan Empire of India After witnessing an extremely bloody battle, Asoka developed new policies of tolerance and non-violence for his empire Buddhism spread as a result of Asoka’s influence Indus River Valley

24. The Gupta Empire of India After Asoka’s death, the Mauryan Empire declined and was replaced by the Gupta Empire Chandra Gupta formed the Gupta Empire in 320 A.D. and expanded the empire

25. Gupta Empire: Classical India India experienced a “golden age” of art, learning, and science during the Gupta Empire, which was known as a “classical empire” Indian astronomers were the first to discover that the Earth is round Mathematicians invented modern numerals, the number zero, pi, and the decimal system

26. Gupta Empire: Classical India Merchants sold exotic spices and silks to people throughout Asia and the Mediterranean world, increasing India’s prosperity